Stranded in Cold Rain, a Logjam of Migrants in the Balkans

New York Times ^ | 19 October 2015 | Barbara Surk

[Lorianne]

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — After weeks of warnings about the dangers involved in Europe’s migrant influx, and fears about winter’s arrival, the worries of public officials and humanitarian groups were realized on Monday when thousands of asylum seekers, many of them families with small children, began to back up at crossings and were stranded in a chilly rain.

The backups came just two days after Hungary closed its border with Croatia, and occurred as countries on the north end of the Balkan route tightened border controls while states to its south quarreled over how to manage the unabated human flow into Europe.

The logjam followed a month of relative stability across the Balkans and Central Europe, as countries unofficially worked together to create a safe and relatively quick route north and west by transporting asylum seekers by bus or train from one border to the next, where they could exit on their way toward Germany, Sweden and other desired destinations.

A recent effort to stem the flow of migrants by keeping them in Turkey, and preventing them from entering the European Union through Greece, faltered over the weekend, when little progress was reported in talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Turkish leaders.

No other plans appear to be on the table, and the safety of the migrants has depended upon the cooperation of the countries along the route, many of them dubious about the migration from the start and resentful that Germany has encouraged it by agreeing to accommodate asylum seekers.

[W.]

And the NY Times is not accepting reader commentary for this article. Wonder why?

[Amagi]

Stranded in Cold Rain, a Logjam of Migrants in the Balkans

Well, boo-friggin-hoo, illegal alien invaders.
Go back to the arid, dry, hot sand craphole you came from.

[AppyPappy]

Oh how....ordinary